Croatia - Ghana: score, highlights and statistics

Croatia and Ghana meet for the very first time in senior international football at the 2026 FIFA World Cup - a Group L decider at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia that carries knockout-stage implications for both sides.

Match Info: Croatia vs Ghana

Croatia take on Ghana on 27 June 2026 at 10:00 p.m. BST (22:00 London time) at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the third and final round of Group L at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Where to Watch Croatia vs Ghana?

Viewers in the United States have the widest choice of broadcast options for Croatia vs Ghana. On television, the match is available on Fox Sports 1 and UNIVERSO, while streaming options include FOX One, Foxsports.com, Fubo TV, Peacock, and UNIVERSO NOW. Spanish-language radio coverage is available via Futbol de Primera Radio.

In Croatia, the match streams live on HRTi. Ghana fans can catch the action on GTV Sports+ on television. Across Europe, the match is available on DAZN España in Spain, beIN SPORTS CONNECT in France, and DAZN Italia in Italy.

Elsewhere around the globe, TSN+ carries the match in Canada, DIRECTV GO and DIRECTV Sports Argentina in Argentina, CazéTV in Brazil, VIX in Mexico, SBS On Demand in Australia, and TVNZ+ in New Zealand.

Croatia vs Ghana - Match Preview

Croatia and Ghana have never faced each other in senior international competition - the 27 June 2026 clash in Philadelphia is the first meeting in history between these two footballing nations, arriving at the most high-stakes moment possible.

Group L pairs England with Croatia, Ghana and Panama across three matchdays running from 17 to 27 June. Croatia bring a résumé that few nations of their size can match: three World Cup medals - bronze in 1998, silver in 2018, bronze again in 2022 - and a squad still captained by Luka Modrić, the 40-year-old Ballon d'Or winner who remains the creative heartbeat of the side.

Ghana arrive at their sixth World Cup under Carlos Queiroz, the Portuguese coach who previously led Iran and served as Sir Alex Ferguson's long-time assistant at Manchester United. The Black Stars can call upon Premier League quality throughout the squad - Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo, Thomas Partey and Iñaki Williams among them - but the pre-tournament form has been a concern that Queiroz must address heading into this decisive Group L fixture.

Head-to-Head: Croatia vs Ghana

There is no head-to-head record to analyse: Croatia and Ghana have never played each other at any level of senior international football before 2026, making this encounter a genuine first chapter in the history between the two nations.

Their only shared history prior to this tournament is being drawn into the same FIFA World Cup group. The first and only competitive fixture between these two nations:

• 2026 - FIFA World Cup Group L - first-ever meeting (27 June 2026, Philadelphia)

Croatia - Recent Form

Croatia won 3 of their last 5 matches, collecting 9 goals scored and 9 conceded - a balanced attacking output paired with a defensive record that raises clear questions ahead of the World Cup.

The most convincing performances came away from home: a 2-1 win over Colombia in March and a 3-2 victory in Montenegro during UEFA World Cup qualifying brought crucial points on the road. Back at home, a 3-1 defeat of the Faroe Islands rounded off the qualifying campaign. These results confirmed that Croatia's attacking output remains reliable, with 9 goals scored across the 5 outings.

The concern lies at the back. A 0-2 loss to Belgium in June - just weeks before the World Cup - and a 1-3 defeat in Brazil exposed a side capable of shutting down completely when faced with top-level pressure. Croatia conceded 5 goals across those two matches alone, a sequence that Modrić and coach Zlatko Dalić will have identified as the primary area to address in Philadelphia.

Ghana - Recent Form

Ghana recorded 0 wins, 1 draw and 4 losses in their last 5 matches before the World Cup, scoring just 3 goals and conceding 11 - the sharpest pre-tournament downturn in form the Black Stars have shown since their 2022 campaign.

The heaviest blow came in March when Austria beat Ghana 5-1, a scoreline that exposed persistent defensive vulnerabilities the squad has struggled to address. Defeats to Germany (1-2) and Mexico (0-2) confirmed that even against European and North American opposition outside the top tier, Ghana found goals hard to come by and their backline routinely exposed.

A 1-1 draw with Wales on 2 June 2026 - their final match before flying to the United States - offered a modest sign of resilience but did little to change the broader narrative. Carlos Queiroz's task is to channel the individual brilliance of players like Kudus and Semenyo into a coherent team performance capable of producing a result in a must-win World Cup fixture.

Facts and Statistics

5 key facts about Croatia vs Ghana ahead of their historic first meeting:

• Croatia and Ghana have never met in senior international football - 27 June 2026 in Philadelphia is the first-ever fixture between these two nations.
• Croatia have won 3 World Cup medals across 6 appearances - bronze (1998), silver (2018) and bronze (2022) - a record unmatched by any nation of comparable population size.
• Ghana are making their 6th World Cup appearance in 2026, having reached the quarter-finals in 2010 to become one of only 4 African nations to achieve that stage.
• Ghana scored just 3 goals in their last 5 pre-tournament matches while conceding 11, including a 5-1 defeat to Austria in March 2026.
• Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia holds over 67,000 spectators and is home to NFL franchise the Philadelphia Eagles - this World Cup match marks the international football debut of the venue for both nations.